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Whatever It Takes

A Story About My Dog, Ellie

By Kaylee AndersonPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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This photo is one of Ellie's happiest moments, it may not be well photographed, but anyone who saw this would swear that she's smiling. Ellie was a great dog, one that didn't get the life she deserved until she was ten years old. Even then, she was only able to fully enjoy her new found life for about two and a half years before her illnesses started to take over, and we eventually had to say goodbye.

Ellie used to belong to someone else. Someone that I can only refer to as a selfish monster. She used to go by a different name, she used to be all alone, she used to endure winter's cold and the heat of the summer sun, and she used to wonder when the next time she would be able to eat would be. We used to see her often, chained up in their yard, with no shelter and no one who cared. My grandma gave her food and water when she could, but she could only do so much. Even when animal control was called, nothing was done.

For ten years nothing happened, and we saw her change from a beautiful, young husky, to a withered soul. We could see that something had to be done, but what? That is when a miracle happened. One day we saw her on the streets and we took her home without hesitation. The owner tried to get Ellie back, but animal control told her that she had to follow a few simple rules to ensure that Ellie wasn't neglected anymore. She refused those rules.

Once we finally were able to accept Ellie as our family, we could see just how malnourished and neglected she was. Her ribs and hip bones jutted out from her thin frame, several tumors were found all over her body, her fur was thin and patchy, and the tips of her ears had been eaten away by flies. It was truly a heartbreaking sight. We immediately took her to the vet and were able to remove most of her tumors, and although it wouldn't solve all of her problems, it definitely helped. It took several months for her to gain weight and for her fur to grow back, but in just a few weeks we were able to witness her contentment and relief. She was the happiest and most energetic ten year old dog we had ever seen.

We spent the rest of her life trying our best to keep her happy. We played, we ran, and we took naps. It makes me angry that some monster out there took ten of Ellie's years. That person has new dogs by now, but she faces no justice. The last year of Ellie's life became more and more difficult with every passing month. She had to start wearing diapers in the house because of a tumor near her bladder, and she lost her energy to play. The last few days were the hardest. Her organs began to fail and we couldn't watch her suffer anymore.

May 3rd 2020, we were forced to put Ellie to sleep, which is why this picture is so important to me. It reminds me that she loved us so much and appreciated our care. It reminds me that her happiest moments were spent with us over these short four years, and that brings a smile to my face. You may be wondering as the prompt states, "How did I capture this photo?" Well, this kind of picture takes love and happiness. It takes the bad times to truly appreciate these beautiful moments in life. When we saved Ellie, we weren't thinking about how hard it would be to take care of her. We didn't care about how much money it would take to give her relief. We said, "Whatever it takes."

Rest in peace Ellie, I hope to see you again soon in Heaven. I love you.

dog
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About the Creator

Kaylee Anderson

I'm writing a book. I'm a fashion designer and an artist.

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